Ad Lucem
by SavannaHaleyRoland
Summary: Following the devastation wreaked on the Stohess District, the Survey Corps has few options left regarding their credibility against the Military Police. They must now rely on help beyond the army, and even the law to avoid getting disbanded. Levi enlists the aid of one such person from his past to assist in the downfall of the corrupt system that threatens his entire regiment. OC
1. The Dawn

Prologue

She dreamed of walking barefoot across grassy planes, each stalk tickling between her toes.

She wanted to know the wind's roar, as it enveloped her in its strong embrace.

She pined for the sun's kisses and to feel them caress her skin all at once.

She dreamed.

She knew she dreamed for when she opened her eyes, her bare feet were cut on sharp rocks and the wind was but a distant whisper.

Still the sun remained, kisses drifting down into this miserable place. Through cracks and crevices, no matter how small, they always found her.

In these moments, the girl would lie in the sun's glow with eyes trained upwards, not towards the rocky ceiling, or the inevitable sky of drifting clouds and soaring birds it concealed.

Her gaze reached upwards towards the light.

* * *

Chapter 1 – The Dawn

Sasha whimpered, a bead of sweat forming on her brow. She could barely stand still for fear of the bullet now sitting dangerously close to her head. The man pinning her arms to her back, reeked of sweat and dirt.

She cried out when the resounding click from behind started the countdown to her demise. Moving nothing but her eyes, she found herself pleading to her squad; praying one of them would do something. Forced to drop their weapons however, they looked back at her, agitated by their uselessness.

So she looked to the captain for any sign of reassurance, but he was never one to humour. His gaze, instead, was on the gang of thugs, specifically the one aiming a gun at her head.

"You're coming with us."

Levi's face betrayed no emotion.

"And if I don't."

"I'll shoot this bitch right now!" Sasha contained her shriek as he pushed the pistol against the back of her head with greater force.

"Now, no need to be rash."

A new voice had joined the party. A man stepped into the light – his pressed suit shining spotless to contrast the surrounding slums of the Ehrmich District. There was a delicate nature to his gait though this made him more intimidating than anything else. He wore a pleasant smile.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm a representative of the Hawthorne Household, here to inform you fine gentlemen that the captain and his squad are under our protection and to be treated as guests for the duration of their stay. Now if you don't mind, let go of the young lady."

Taken aback by his polite tone, the thug's grip on Sasha loosened slightly. He remembered himself though, growling and grabbing her arm anew.

"Get lost, little man. This don't concern neither you or that whore! And you can go tell her I said that." He pointed the gun to the centre of the man's forehead.

The man, unfazed, pinched the bridge of his nose. He removed his glasses, pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket with a flourish.

"Oh there's really no need for that, my good fellow," he chortled, wiping at the lenses. He restored the glasses back onto his straight nose. "After all, you don't want to give _them_ anymore reason to shoot, do you?"

He gestured towards the paling night sky, at the rooftops. Ten heavily armed men and women in black cocked their guns. They had a discipline that could have put even the army to shame. The gang of thugs now made no effort to mask that they were afraid. Hold for their leader, although he too had loosened his grip on Sasha considerably.

"You don't scare me." His voice betrayed him, as did his shaking hand.

"Well, in that case," the man said, stepping forward and pressing his forehead against the gun. "Go right ahead."

A tense pause ensued. More beads of sweat formed across the thug's brow. He could feel the eyes of his comrades, the glares of his hostages and most importantly, the stares of ten guns aimed at him. He weighed out his priorities, albeit poorly and clearly panicking. Eventually though, his face fell in surrender as did his armed hand.

"Excellent choice, sir." The bespectacled man's voice never lost its formality. "Now, please release the young lady."

The thug obliged, though he wore a look that could kill. Sasha fell to her knees, quivering. She was raised to her feet by Hange and taken away from her former captor.

"Also, if you would be so kind as to drop your weapons." The man didn't bother concealing his pleasure in their helplessness. The leader waved his hand and the rest begrudgingly obliged. A clang of metal on cobblestones later, the now armed squad stood behind their saviour.

"We shall now take our leave. Unfortunately, you must stay here with them," he motioned to the snipers still stood on the rooftops, eyes still trained on the gang. "So as to ensure you don't follow us."

The man then turned to Levi.

"Captain, if you and your squad might follow me, our transport awaits."

Levi shared a look with Hange before silently following. The man led them down the alley from where they came, back onto the main road. There, a long black carriage with very tinted windows stood. The driver, almost as smartly dressed as the man, hopped off his perch and opened the door for them. Levi was the first to step in, followed by Hange, Eren, Mikasa, Sasha and Jean. The man remained outside, holding the door open.

"Make yourselves comfortable, we will be leaving shortly."

He pulled out a shiny, silver pocket watch. As soon as the second hand marked a minute since their escape, a crashing medley of gunshots and screams echoed from the alley. Silence followed, and the man chortled.

"Was that necessary?"

The man looked up at Levi, confused for a moment. His face then relaxed as he flashed a knowing grin.

"I'm afraid so. Madam dislikes loose ends."

 _"_ _Madam_ seems to dislike a lot of things nowadays."

The man laughed, unfazed by the now evident hostility.

"Captain, you've been keeping up with the gossip, I see."

"I'd have to be deaf to miss it."

"Though your hearing seems to have failed you regarding our current location, has it not? The Household hasn't operated from here for about five years now."

There was a sharp intake of breath among captain's subordinates. Hange, however, burst out laughing, making Levi's eyes narrow. The man continued smiling.

"We shall arrive at our destination within the hour. I'm Dawson, by the way. Should you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

With that he closed the door, leaving the squad in silence, hold for Hange's spluttering.

* * *

It wasn't long until the carriage drew to a halt. The squad filed out, squinting in the bright light of the newly rising sun. They had been out most of the night. They now found themselves looking up at a massive bricked house, complete with foreboding tall arches, twisting black spires and large, curtained windows.

Dawson led them up the concrete porch to the black, lacquer door. He used the silver knocker to announce their arrival. Upon further inspection, the knocker was in the grotesque image of a lion, its mane crowning its head like sunrays.

Almost at once the door opened, exposing yet another immaculately dressed man. He resembled an older Dawson though he was of a snootier disposition – a fact that was evident from the way he eyed Sasha's dirtied trousers when she walked in.

The threshold opened up to a massive room, where centred at its end was a wide marble staircase. On either side of it were doors lining the walls and leading to the rest of the house. The staircase itself split off at the carpeted landing into two upper wings of the house, a large panelled window letting light flow into the room and exposing the gardens behind the mansion. An enormous chandelier hung above them, the crystals glimmering in the sun.

While the squad took in this grandeur, Levi and Hange's attention was on Dawson who was conversing with the servant in hushed tones. Despite their subtlety, Dawson noticed, halting the conversation and straightening up.

"I have just been informed that Madam's prior engagements have been cancelled. She is expecting you in her upstairs office. So if you would please follow me, your squad may treat themselves to refreshments down here."

Levi nodded and motioned to Hange. The two followed Dawson up the staircase, across the expensive rug on the landing and into the house's east wing. Walking down a few corridors, framed by shut doors and paned windows, they finally reached the office. Dawson opened the heavy door and ushered them in.

The room was spacious and outlined by ceiling high shelves, laden with hundreds of books. An assortment of expensive liquors stood in a cabinet at one end of the room. Not too far from it was another cabinet filled to the brim with documents and folders. Yet another rug stretched across the length of the room, accommodating a large leather couch at one end, and a heavy desk paired with two armchairs at the other.

Here she sat, slender gloved fingers drumming on the desktop of darkened oak. Her brown hair was extremely short, slicked back with gel and accentuated her sharp cheekbones. Her dress, though modest, was clearly expensive and matched the bright red of her lipstick.

When she saw them, she smiled.

* * *

 **Note about the story:**

 **It's not perfect and I'm not expecting it to be – I just want to practice writing, developing characters and interesting story arcs, and to take a stab at the drama and romance genres. As I'm learning and experimenting at the moment, constructive criticism is warmly welcomed and very much appreciated.**

 **The story itself will not follow the manga as I have not read it, though I will be doing my research on the SnK/AoT wikia to make sure the OCs could theoretically exist in the world. The fic will very loosely follow the anime series – though I'll still do my best to stay true to the characters. Again, do let me know if a canon character is too OOC – I'll strive to amend the mistake.**

 **Final warning, the story will get fairly dark and violent though I don't think it will be more extreme than the anime in that regard. Look forward to heavy swearing as well. Should I try smut, it will be published as a separate one-shot on my profile.**

 **I'll try and post regularly, though I guarantee nothing. Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it.**

 **~ Savanna**

 **PS - Oh look, a DISCLAIMER: I do not own Attack On Titan/ SNK. All I own is my OCs. Done.**


	2. Fine

Chapter 2 – Fine

 _Two days prior_

Commander Erwin opened his eyes, leaning his elbows on the desk. He looked to his subordinates once again. Eren and Hange were sat in chairs opposite him, the woman reading a letter she had grabbed off his desk. Captain Levi was leaning back against the wall. Erwin gave a sharp outtake of breath, knitting his brows together.

"It appears we can no longer rely on the military for support. The collateral damage done by the fight between your and Leonhart's Titan forms has caused us to fall out of favour with them as well as the public. There are plenty of people who would like to see you dead, Eren. We managed to use our public support to sway the opinion in our favour after Trost, however now-"

"Now they're trying to disband us!" Hange's hands trembled with rage, clutching the letter. How in the hell was she supposed to continue her research with the Regiment disbanded?

"What?! They can't do that!" Eren was quick to join in her anger and clenched his fists.

"I'm afraid they can. The Survey Corps has always faced opposition however only now do their voices bear weight with the people. There is a very real possibility that we will be removed. Naturally, I cannot allow that to happen. Not when we are so close to discovering crucial information about the Titans." Erwin looked towards Eren, referring to the key around his neck.

"The Military Police are filing investigations on us as we speak. There is little we can do to stop them from doing so. Likewise, we cannot do much to reverse public opinion in the time before they file the reports. That is why I believe the time has come to look for help elsewhere," His tone, while grave, was clearly hinting. Levi caught onto this immediately and looked up.

Eren could neither believe what he was hearing nor could contain he himself.

" _Outside_ the military?!"

Erwin's eyes hadn't left Levi. The captain strode over to stand behind the boy.

"Don't be a moron, Yeager. Of course outside the army," he said coldly, snatching the letter out of Hange's hand. Gaze swooping across the page, Erwin noticed it halt at the mention of a familiar name, like he had suspected it would.

"Sir? Are you suggesting we stop them with force?" Eren asked.

"Absolutely not. We cannot afford to get caught turning against the MP. Not obviously anyway. No, this situation is to be handled as inconspicuously as possible."

"So, you mean -" Hange began before Levi cut her off.

"He means we gather as much intelligence on them as possible to either blackmail them into letting us stay or to discredit anything they say against us. Erwin, have you lost your mind?"

The commander ignored the blatant disrespect of rank and pressed on.

"I believe you have contacts that could help us."

There was a pause.

"Tch. You're talking about her, aren't you?"

" _Her_? Who's "her"?" The pronoun game the commander and captain were playing had Hange so intrigued, that her anger ebbed away.

"Eloise Hawthorne."

Eren merely blinked but from the noise of recollection Hange made, he guessed this person was important.

"You're friends with the head of the Hawthorne Household?!" The woman made no effort to hold in her excitement – she went about it in a very Hange way, practically foaming at the mouth.

"No, I'm not," Levi replied. "We haven't spoken in years."

"Friend or not, the information she has on the Military Police is invaluable."

"So what do you expect me to do, Erwin?"

"Locate the Hawthorne headquarters and meet her face to face."

"And then what? _Woo_ her into giving me the information?"

Eren masked his snort at the idea of Levi flirting with a woman as a hacking cough. Levi was not fooled and aimed a death glare at him before continuing.

"Hawthorne is one of the most powerful crime lords in the world. What makes you think we have a chance of getting close enough to even talk to her?"

"I wouldn't have thought it would be _that_ difficult for 'Humanity's Strongest Soldier'."

Erwin's comment made Hange smirk, irritating the captain further. The commander then sighed.

"Believe me, I am well aware of the risks… but this is our last and only chance to maintain the Regiment. I would not be considering it, if it weren't."

"Fine."

* * *

Eloise Hawthorne now sat before him. Her calculating eyes exposed the deception in her smile. She put down the document she had been reading and then she spoke.

"Ah, Dawson. Finally."

"Apologies for the delay, ma'am. The _negotiations_ dragged on a bit longer than I had anticipated."

"But I trust all has been taken care of?"

"Not a single loose end remaining."

"Wonderful. Now have Cook refresh this, would you?" Eloise handed him a recently emptied teapot.

"I shall have extra cups brought up at once."

And with that, he left the room. Using this as a cue, Eloise raised herself up from her seat and moved to greet her guests. She shook Hange's hand first.

"The trip up here wasn't too much of an ordeal, I hope?"

"Not at all! We were just side tracked is all. Thank you for meeting us on such short notice."

"The pleasure is mine. I'm always happy to meet the brave men and women who protect us. It's an honour, Section Commander."

"Just Hange, Ms Hawthorne."

"Just Eloise, then," she chuckled. "I'm glad to have finally met you face to face. Though I see the infamous Commander Erwin couldn't make it?"

"I'm afraid not, no."

For a fraction of a second, the corners of Eloise's mouth dropped into a frown.

"Shame," she said, regaining her composure and turning her attention to the captain. She now stood directly in front of him, eyes angled downwards to meet his.

"How long has it been, Levi?"

"Seven years."

She took a moment to take in his answer before smirking.

"Well, they've not been kind. You look awful." She was referring to the dark circles under his eyes. He merely rolled them in response.

"Charming as always. The money improved your dress sense, just not your shitty personality."

Eloise burst out laughing. Wiping her eye, she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"It's good to see you."

"You've been busy," Levi remarked, eyes darting around the room.

"I have indeed. Though, look at my being rude. Please, both of you, take a seat! Make yourselves at home!" She led them back to the desk, motioning to the pair of armchairs. Perfectly timed, Dawson re-entered with a tray of clean cups and a fresh pot of tea. Eloise thanked him, waving him away to tend to the rest of the squad downstairs. She picked the pot up herself and began to pour.

"You know, this particular set was a gift from Lord Balto of Trost. One of the perks of having my job is that you get a lot of free stuff." She gave an airy laugh that Hange reciprocated, while politely, too enthusiastically. Levi on the other hand, was not amused.

"And just what is your job, Eloise?"

Without missing a beat, she looked up from pouring.

"Come now, Levi, you must have _some_ idea. After all, you were never one to be dim."

"I am well aware. I just want to hear you say it out loud."

"Oh?" Eloise's eyebrow quirked upwards as she handed Hange her tea. The scientist looked stuck between discomfort and glee at the situation. "You disapprove?"

"Is it that obvious."

Her discrete roll of the eye did not go unseen by him. She added two sugars to his cup.

"Well, now that we have _formalities_ out of the way, perhaps we should change to a subject of more substance. As… lovely as your visit is, I gather it isn't because you've missed me. So, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We need information on the Military Police," Levi answered, glancing at the cup of tea she'd placed in front of him.

"I suspected as much," Eloise smirked. She took a sip. "I was in the Stohess District the other day. The Survey Corps operations really did a number on it. In fact, little birdie tells me, your regiment may soon be disbanded."

"You do your research!" Hange exclaimed.

"Of course! I'm a very curious woman after all."

"Ah, a kindred spirit!" Hange had acquired a dreamy look in her eye. Levi interjected to keep them on track.

"On behalf of the Scout Regiment we are proposing an alliance. We ask you to provide us with key intelligence regarding the Military Police and their inner workings."

"And why would I do that? 'For old times sake'?" She was practically laughing. Levi glared at her. "You're wasting your time. You have nothing I want. I reject your offer."

"What?" Hange had re-emerged from her daze.

"The offer to be your informant – I reject it."

Levi turned to his crestfallen comrade before she could ask why.

"Hange, you should go check on the brats."

"Huh? But I haven't finished my te-"

"Now."

Hange caught on, nodding and getting up. She shut the door behind her. Levi waited for her footsteps to die away before speaking.

"Drop the act. I know you're angry."

"Well, _obviously._ " She folded her arms, leaning back in her chair. Any hint of a smile was gone. "You know, I was surprised you even counted. Seven years, Levi. I haven't heard from you in _seven fucking years_. And you think you can just show up, out of the blue like nothing happen-"

"What did you expect me to do, Eloise? Come back so we could weep on each others shoulders?" Levi's voice remained measured to contrast the increasing hostility in hers.

"That would've been better than you just up and leaving forever, without a single fucking word of farewell! You three just left me alone in the dark!"

She slammed her fist on the table and the china clattered. Levi noticed that Eloise's previously airy and pitchy voice had regressed to a lower, throatier hum. The style in which she spoke, masterfully crafted and aristocratic, had ebbed away to a harsher, faster drawl - an accent typically native to the inhabitants of the Underground.

"You see all this?" She motioned around, stopping at the cabinet of files behind her. " _This_ is my empire. I clawed and I scraped for this on my own and you! You come back after a _decade_ of silence and judge me for it. Like you can talk. Acting like you didn't come out of the same shithole like the rest of us."

This seemed to hit a nerve, prompting Levi out of apathetic silence.

"Look, I'm not here to give you a fucking apology, or hold your hand and reassure you that it's all my fault. I'm here because you have strong links with the Military Police and because for the years that I did know you, you could be trusted with key intelligence."

"Bullshit. I know coming to me wasn't _your_ idea,"

"It doesn't matter if it was my idea, or not. I am here and I will get that information out of you one way or another."

Her eyebrows shot up. She leaned forward over her desk so that they were nose to nose.

"Oh yeah? Is that a threat?"

"Consider it a warning. We're offering you an alliance. You provide us with what we need to discredit the word of the MP, and in return you have our protection."

She gave an empty, humourless laugh.

"Protection from what? The government? Sweetheart, they might as well be _funding_ me. You think they don't know what I do? And here I was thinking I wasn't giving you enough credit."

"You didn't let me finish. You will have our protection _and_ our word that your reputation remains unscathed."

Much to Levi's enjoyment, her smirk dropped off completely. He continued, confident now that he had her full attention.

"I do wonder what should happen were the nobles to find out where exactly you're from. Or what exactly you're capable of. Would they be comfortable giving such generous 'donations'? Something really makes me doubt it. " His accent mocked the one she had been using earlier.

"You don't have proof."

She didn't like how smug he sounded.

"Oh, but those are just some of the perks of being 'Humanity's Strongest Soldier'. My words seem to bear a lot of weight, regardless of the truth behind them or the reputation of my regiment."

"I can't believe it." Eloise shook her head, eyes shooting daggers. "Seven years and you've actually become even more of an asshole. Are you sure blackmail is wise, Levi?"

"Can the Survey Corps count on your support, or not?"

She sat back down, slumping in her seat. She crossed her arms once again.

" _Fine._ "

Levi took the first sip of his tea. It was lukewarm now.

"Tch."

"I'll have Dawson bring up a fresh pot again."

"Forget it," he said, pushing the cup away. "You said you heard we were getting disbanded. Who told you?"

"Nicholas Lobov. Remember the wanker who got you guys mixed up in that shit show in the first place? Well, I saw him last week in Mitras, bitching about Erwin and how he hoped the government would now get rid of the Scouts once and for all."

"Darius Zackly mentioned that in his letter to Erwin. He's gotten the Military Police to investigate us and we're not expecting them to be lenient. It's like last time."

"Yeah, no shit. I remember. It's hard to forget what made my fiancé leave."

"You said you understood."

"But I never expected him to _die_ , did I?" Eloise's voice was sharp. She was back to looking him squarely in the eye. Levi's gaze remained level and it seemed to calm her down. She sighed. "I didn't expect either of them to. I thought it was just going to be like the standard job you always did. I knew you were joining the army but for the life of me I didn't think you were actually going to _face_ those things."

"Neither did we."

Another pause. Eloise drummed her fingers on the desk. She stopped.

"Did… you see them die?"

A flash of her severed head. His body, torn in half. Their hollow stares.

"No."

"That's good, I guess," she replied with a sigh.

Yet another beat. Levi spoke.

"Erwin will be in touch. We will notify you when we can next meet."

She gave a brief hum in response.

Another silence.

They had nothing more to say in that moment and Levi got up.

"I couldn't recover hers… but I managed this."

Levi reached into his pocket, pulling out Farlan's Survey Corps badge. He placed it on the table before her.

Eloise looked at the Wings of Freedom glint in the sunlight. She stayed like that for a few breaths before gently framing it with her fingertips. She held it steady, seeming to examine the insignia. Levi tried to incite some reaction a final time.

"He loved you, you know."

She didn't look up.

"Yeah, well… the feeling was mutual."

Recognizing any efforts now would be fruitless, Levi turned on his heel and made for the door. But as he stepped out the room, a quiet "thank you" drifted out with him.

When the door closed and his footsteps echoed away, Eloise wound her fingers around the badge tightly. She turned to the window, bringing her fist to her heart and her palm to her mouth. Her shoulders trembled as she began to cry.

* * *

 **I acknowledge you had to know the No Regrets storyline to fully understand this. Consider it recommended watching/reading for this fic ;)**

 **Thank you very much to Deisumi-chan and Ajhtrumpet for following and favouriting - I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully I'll see you next week!**

 **~ Savanna**


	3. Loyalty

Chapter 3 – Loyalty

"Shall we try that again?"

He looked up at her, stubbly cheeks stained with sweat and tears. His arms had been tied behind the back of his chair. The excruciating pain of a bullet in his right leg had him hiccoughing and choking on his sobs. Snot dribbled from his nostrils to the corners of his mouth. In a moment of absolute stupidity, he decided to cry out, hoping someone outside the cottage would hear.

"You fucking bitch! Y- you're crazy! HELP!"

He was met with the cracking blow of her fist that split the skin of his brow bone. Eloise cocked the gun and placed the muzzle on the man's left kneecap.

"We're in the middle of nowhere, you moron. No one's gonna hear you." Her voice was calm and measured. He ignored her, starting up a commotion once again.

"Someone! HELP ME! PLEA-!"

A deafening blast. The man's screams for help turned into those of pure agony. Both his legs had now been rendered useless.

Half of Eloise's face was covered in blood spatter. She ignored this. Instead, her voice took up a chummy tone.

"Look… I didn't want to have to do this but it's your own fault. You're not giving me much of a choice here."

She pointed the gun directly at his crotch. The man began to wriggle against his bonds, which earned him a kick to the face. He wretched, blood dribbling from his mouth and mixing with the snot, sweat and tears into one pitiful mess.

"Here's what's gonna happen, motherfucker. You're gonna tell me exactly who you work for and where they are. In return, I don't pull this trigger. Now, I'm gonna give you to the count of ten. One."

"Please, no."

"Two."

"This isn't happening. Help me!"

"Five."

"NO, PLEASE!"

"Nine"

" _STOP!_ "

"Te-"

"Weyel! I work for Weyel!"

Eloise kept the gun where it was.

"And who the fuck is Weyel supposed to be?"

"Edgar Weyel! He runs the Lang Company! Our HQ is in Mitras! Northside!"

"Alright," She lowered the gun and grabbed him by the collar. "Why has he been targeting my girls?"

"He doesn't like that you've been spreading the Household."

"Idiot, don't test my patience. Half of those girls are injured, one of them critically. Answer my fucking question. _Why?_ "

The gun had come back. He felt it on his thigh and consequently, a new sheen of sweat formed across his forehead.

"He wanted to sell them off! He thought he'd make a quick buck while leaving you without business. We were takin' 'em to Shiganshina but they didn't comply so he told us to scrap 'em! And then the MP showed up and you know the rest! That's it, I swear!"

She let go of his collar.

"No need to swear, I believe you."

When she put the gun back in its holster, the Lang henchman visibly relaxed. Eloise brushed her trousers down, stepping towards the door and over one of his moaning, now crippled comrades.

"See? Not so difficult, was it?" She took her fur rimmed black coat off the hook, kicking aside more of his cohorts who were attempting to crawl to freedom. She looked up, grinned and slipped into her coat.

"But as fun as this was, I'm a busy woman. I don't have time to put up with shits like you every time you fuck up. You'll stay away from my girls. If you don't… then next time, I'll be angry. Do I make myself clear?"

Four. She counted four Lang cronies as they came in. She counted four bleeding as she went out. She gave a smug hum, opening the door.

"Ta, boys. It's been real."

She exited the cottage, locking it behind her. Then turning to the forest, she leant back and hurled the key as far as she could, watching it disappear forever into the dark.

Dawson greeted her. He handed her a damp handkerchief, which she took and began wiping the blood spatter off her cheeks and knuckles, sighing at her callused hands. Now that she had money, she should really invest in a good hand cream.

"Your gloves, ma'am."

"Ah, thank you. Honestly! What kind of a lady has callused hands, I ask you?"

Dawson laughed politely.

"Do you really think they'll stay away?"

"Oh, most definitely." She'd pulled her gloves back on, wiggling her fingers. She smiled. "But just in case…"

Eloise was pleased to see Dawson had gone ahead and formed a perimeter of dry hay and kerosene around the cottage. She knew making him her assistant was a good idea. Retrieving a box of matches from her pocket, she lit one before dropping it on the ground.

They watched the cottage burn, confident that through the thicket of the trees, it just looked like a campfire.

* * *

"Dawson?" Eloise had been reminded of something.

"Yes, ma'am."

"The men in Ehrmich the other day…"

"Their bodies were disposed of in the forest shortly after I left."

"Good. Did you catch who their employer was?"

"They didn't vocalise, no. Though if I were to make an educated guess from their dress and weapons, it's safe to say they belonged to the Lang Company."

"And you're sure of that?"

"Madam, with all due respect, when have you ever known me to be wrong?"

Eloise laughed in agreement, relaxing. She shuffled around the reports she'd been reading from each of the Household's many faction heads - the people who she'd entrusted to look after each of her territories in her absence. She opened the next report that was from the Southside of the Stohess District. The Titan brawl had left a good chunk of the district decimated, though luckily for her the destruction had not affected the Household's territories there to a serious degree. The same could not have been said about the Lang areas. She looked up.

"Does Weyel know the Survey Corps paid me a visit?"

"None of his men were left alive after I left… But you know how word travels. I trust he will make the connection eventually. Why? You worry he'll try something?"

"I don't worry," she put simply. "But I don't doubt he'll be pissed off."

"What would you like me to do?"

"At the moment, nothing. I was well within my rights ordering the disposal of those men. The terms of our agreement involved staying out of each other's territories – a rule his goons clearly didn't abide by. No, no. We will wait for Weyel to address it. I want him to explain himself."

"He must have been quite desperate to get his hands on the captain, given that he was willing to step into Household turf. Why would he want Captain Levi?"

Eloise had been thinking about this since the Survey Corps left. She had a theory.

"Are you aware who Nicholas Lobov is, Dawson?"

"An associate and overly generous patron of the Lang Company."

"Exactly. He and Levi have a shaky past. Lobov was once a client of his. He'd instructed Levi to do _something_. I have reason to believe he didn't do the job, leaving Lobov at a disadvantage. Would it be too much to assume he called in a favour with the Lang Company to have the captain removed?"

Dawson gave her an impressed grin.

"Not in the slightest, ma'am. Do you have any idea of what the job was?"

"Honestly… I have no clue. I _am_ interested though. I know that he needed to join the Survey Corps to do it. I've heard rumours it was to kill Erwin though that may just be hearsay. Should you have time, look into it, would you?"

"Gladly, ma'am."

A loud crash made their eyes snap to the door. It burst open to reveal a man in his late forties with a scraggly goatee and a rats tail haircut. He sported a long black cloak that billowed angrily behind him to match his expression. Beneath it, peeked out the well known insignia of a unicorn across the Royal coat of arms.

"Explain. Now!"

"Why, Squad Leader Dupont, how lovely of you to –"

"Shut up! Why in the hell am I being told that you're entertaining the _Survey Corps_?!"

Word _does_ travel fast, Eloise thought. She looked to her assistant with a reassuring smile.

"Dawson, if you would leave myself and the Squad Leader."

He had reservations about it, but nevertheless he obliged. Eloise then looked to Dupont, meeting his hostility as graciously as her temper allowed.

"Please have a seat. Can I offer you a drink?"

"You can offer me a damned explanation. Why the fuck were they here?!" Dupont stayed standing, hands on her desktop. He was trying to intimidate her.

"I was simply showing my gratitude to the men and women who risk their lives going outside the walls. I invited them to tea, they accepted. We made casual conversation about the weather among other social niceties and then they left."

"What about the brawl in Ehrmich on the same day? We've had complaints. Apparently gunshots were heard from the Eastside. _Your_ side. "

" _Gunshots_? On _my_ side?!" Eloise was incredulous. "That's absurd. I definitely didn't hear about it."

She held his calculating gaze firmly. After a few tense breaths, Dupont backed down with a scowl.

"If I find out you're lying to me-"

"Perish the thought. I would have openly intervened were there a brawl involving _firearms_ in Household territory. You know how much I dislike pointless violence."

"Pointless? Yes. But you seem to fare just fine when you can get something out of it."

"And what would I have gotten out of a shoot out?"

"I… don't know."

"Exactly. Because there is nothing _to_ know."

"Hmmph," the man begrudgingly dropped himself in the seat.

"Now let me pour you a drink."

Opening one of her drawers, she pulled out two short tumblers. From the cabinet she took a bottle of her strongest whisky and began to pour.

"You're not off the hook, you know. I'm not fully convinced the Survey Corps visit and those shootings are just coincidence," he continued, watching her fill up one of the glasses. She paused, leaving the other empty.

"Do you really think I, an aspiring member of high society, would really risk social status by sending my people to go shoot up my own territory at the crack of dawn just to have some army dogs round for tea?"

Dupont grinned like a madman.

"I didn't say _when_ the gunshots were heard. 'Dawn', was it?"

Silence. Eloise's face dropped instantly, realising her mistake. It seemed Dupont found this amusing. He leaned in and spoke softly.

"Listen here, you vile, _conniving_ snake. Don't forget it's because of us you got the territories you did. The house you live in, the businesses you own are because of _us_. Without us, you're just another whore from the street. So, I suggest you remind yourself where your true loyalties lie."

Her face was stone, hold for a muscle in her jaw that twitched slightly. She recovered her smile, though now she spoke through gritted teeth.

"Duly noted."

He nodded, seemingly made content by her submission. He then, reaching into his cloak, pulled out an envelope and chucked it before her.

"What's this?"

"A royal invitation for a fundraiser ball in Mitras. "

Eloise clapped her hands in delight. She opened the envelope, eyes flitting over the page.

"How lovely! It's an absolute honour to be invited."

"You were asked to attend because of your money."

This made her look up with a pout.

"Oh, don't say that! I like to think it's because of my charming personality. Sometimes a girl needs to be humoured, you understand."

Dupont had had enough. He slammed his fist on the desktop, other hand pointing at her.

"Understand _this_ , if I get so much as a whisper of _any_ plan involving the Survey Corps, I'll come after _you_ first. You'll kiss your mansion, your business and your freedom goodbye. We'll just let Weyel and Besler take care of you."

With that Dupont left, slamming the door behind him. The sheer force of it made the liquor bottles in the cabinet behind her clatter. Slowly she got up, peering out the window. She watched the leader of the First Interior Squad get into his carriage, and drive off.

Dawson, who had been listening through the door, re-entered as she slumped back into her chair with a sigh of relief.

"Well that could've gone better."

Her tumbler of whiskey was still on the table. She swigged.

"In light of the situation, would you like to sever your newfound alliance with the Scouting Legion?"

Eloise shook her head.

'On the contrary, my dear Dawson," she said, drink in one hand while writing a small note with the other. She attached it to the invite before sealing them both in an envelope. "As discreetly as you can, I would like you to send this on to Commander Erwin. I've been permitted a plus-one."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Remember to follow, favourite and review if you enjoyed it! Also, I don't own Aot/Snk. I own my characters.**


	4. Survival

**Chapter 4 - Survival**

He spotted them. Two hooded figures on the street corner. Dawson was at her side, as Eloise leant against the wall. Levi approached her, noting she looked tired with the lipstick wiped off and hair freed of gel. She wasn't trying to keep up a persona, not here anyway. She looked up at him through her fringe.

"Hasn't changed a bit, has it?"

He looked around. She had asked to meet in one of the most rundown areas of the Underground. If he hadn't known the way already, he could just as easily have found it by the stench. The starving laced the streets in jumbled lines, like some sick picture frame of an even grimmer painting. A cacophony of retching and coughing reverberated off the rocky ceiling. Trash and human waste dirtied his boots. Levi's nose wrinkled at the mold climbing down the building towards them.

"Still the same shithole it was seven years ago," he agreed, making her laugh bitterly.

"You have what I asked for?" she asked, standing up straight.

Levi handed her a thick file. "Obviously, that isn't our only copy."

"And this is all of it?"

" _Most_ of the information the Survey Corps has on you."

"Then the deal is off. I specifically asked Erwin for _everything_ he has on me."

"In which case, he has complied. If you'd asked me, the file would have tripled in size. The deal's still on."

"Ass." Eloise glowered, handing Dawson the file. He stowed it within his cloak. "Let's get this over with then."

They walked through the crowded slums, ignoring the hands reaching for their aid. Dawson's face was as morose as his surroundings. He kept looking at Eloise, gauging her actions. While she maintained her usual air of nonchalance, Levi noted her movements were slightly more controlled. She was on her guard. Her eyes had sharpened beneath the dark shadow of her hood as she peered out. She subtly scanned the rooftops and the faces of their passersby. Searching for someone? No, Levi read, _avoiding_.

Eloise gave a jump when a small etiolated hand managed to clutch onto her pant leg. Quick to regain her composure, she shrugged the child off easily without a second glance.

As they moved on, the smell of sewage began to fade as did the amount of homeless. They walked past two prostitutes on a street corner, one who looked no older than thirteen. They called to them, beckoning them closer. Eloise kept walking, though she finally spoke.

"Dawson."

"On it, ma'am." He strode off to the two girls, greeting them warmly, and handed them a card each. He rejoined them within minutes.

"What was that about?" Levi asked.

"Madam has offered them each work under the Hawthorne Household."

"The card has an address of the nearest base they can reach. All they have to do is show the card at the door and then sign a contract," she continued.

"How do you know they aren't already working for you? You're telling me you know all of your workers?"

"Of course not. But I _do_ know my girls when I see them. Those two were malnourished, underdressed. Given they were on the border, they already wanted to join the Household anyway."

"Border?"

"We're in Lang territory. Westside. It's the fastest way to the red light district. Stay sharp, we're almost home."

Levi knew they'd crossed the border when Eloise's shoulders visibly relaxed. The red light district was in fairly empty this time of day. It only really got into full swing towards the evening.

"Dawson, take the file and get above ground. You'll be safe from here. I'll see you back at the house."

The man nodded, splitting off from them and moving to the nearest pass to the surface. Not long after, they finally reached their destination. Levi recognised the building. She worked from here once. Oddly enough, the brothel looked cleaner than it did all those years ago. It's door - broken back then, was now of sturdy black lacquer with a silver knocker. Eloise, however, led him away from here, instead bringing him to the back of the house .

They made their way up the steps and no sooner had Eloise knocked on the door than did it burst open. The woman in the doorway was nothing short of beautiful. She had full lips and long lashes, her already big brown eyes were wide with panic.

"Thank _god_! I just sent out for help."

The two filed into the kitchen.

"What's wrong, Natasha?"

"This client. He's barricaded himself in upstairs. Cassie's in there with him!"

Truly, the ruckus could be heard exactly in the room above them. Women were shouting, trying to break the door down and failing. Levi's stomach turned in disgust. He made to move, but Eloise beat him to it. "Wait here, please."

She climbed up the stairs, leaving him with Natasha. He acknowledged that getting recognised here wouldn't do him any good. He sat down at the table and listened. The women upstairs stopped screaming and the door banging had stopped. Eloise was upstairs. He heard her smash through the door, followed by a man's rumbling voice. He heard her regional drawl before the man too began to shout. Then a smash of glass. Levi's gaze turned to the window just in time to see a shape fall past it. There was a resounding thud swiftly followed by a crack. Eloise had thrown him out the window.

All was silent before the light thudding of her boots coming down the stairs started up again. She reentered the room, stone faced, followed in by two more women, whose beauty could have easily rivalled Natasha's. They said nothing as she walked to the kitchen counter and poured a cup of tea, spiking it with a generous shot of vodka. She turned to the women, handing it to them.

"Sam. Angie. Take this up to her. Clean her up, calm her down. Tell her I'll be up in a minute."

They did as they were told with the utmost respect. Eloise turned back to the counter, lifting the bottle to her lips, and took a massive gulp. She slammed it back down on the counter, making Natasha jump. When Eloise turned, the girl looked at her wide-eyed with gratitude.

" _Thank_ you."

She was met with a sharp slap across the face, the sheer force of it made her fall into her seat. Natasha put her palm up to her cheek, looking up. Eloise was pissed.

"Why was he here?" she demanded.

"I-I don't-"

"I didn't approve him. Dawson didn't approve him. So who the fuck did?"

"No one did, Eloise. He just showed u-"

"Shut up. Your new scout – fire him. He's finding swine like that and I'm not your fucking babysitter anymore. It's _your_ job to take care of these girls, not mine. Their safety is _your_ responsibility. God! You're a grownass woman – act like it!"

"We don't have a new scout, Eloise! Believe me."

The Madam just rolled her eyes. She sat down, raising her palm. "Spare me your lies. Do you have _any_ idea, any _clue_ what could've happened to her if we didn't arrive when we did? If we hadn't come at _all_? Use your brain! I will not have any of you harmed. "

"Because _you've_ done such a great job of it in the past!" Natasha lashed out. It was at this point Levi truly saw her. Long pink scars ran from her left hand to her neck. She was missing two fingers. Eloise didn't lose her composure, though slight hesitation was there in her reaction.

"I took care of you and I took care of those degenerates. Weyel won't dare hurt any of you now. I'm sorry I wasn't there in time but what happened to you does not trivialise what could have happened to Cassie because of _your_ negligence."

Natasha's eyes flashed with a mixture of guilt and anger.

"Clean up this mess yourself before I do something rash... and have someone scrape up that sad excuse of a man outside the window before the rats begin to swarm. We're here on business."

"Fine." Natasha visibly relaxed, folding her arms. "What do you want?"

Eloise nodded her head in Levi's direction. "He's-"

"I'm not an idiot. I know who he is. What does he _want_?"

"Information. We need to access some files we have in storage. You still have the key?"

Natasha pulled the chain around her neck from her cleavage to reveal a key. She handed it to Eloise.

"I'll make sure you're not disturbed."

"And we were never here."

" _Obviously_."

Levi and Eloise made for the stairs. Natasha, cheek still red, leant down and rolled up the rug on the floor to reveal a trapdoor. Beneath it, was a steep flight of stairs leading into a bunker. She handed her boss a box of matches, who motioned to Levi to follow suit. As they made their way further beneath the ground, Natasha shut the door behind them, leaving them in the dark, hold for the faint glow of a match. Levi spoke.

"You make a habit of bitch slapping your employees?"

Eloise snorted.

"You're one to talk. Do you often kick the shit out of your cadets?"

At his lack of response she continued.

"Yeah, that's right. I heard about your stunt with that Titan boy. Is it true you broke his jaw off?"

"I didn't beat him that hard."

"Wouldn't have put it past you."

"I knocked his tooth out."

"Wow. A true gentleman," Eloise chuckled. "You must really like him if you went that easy on him."

They'd reached the bottom of the stairs and now stood in a stuffy, dusty room, covered floor to ceiling in boxes of documents. Levi didn't bother masking his disgust at the sight of cobwebs glistening from every corner. She used the match to illuminate wall lamps dotted around the place, before stowing the box inside her cloak. She moved to one corner of the room, yanking out a box from the top shelf. It was among the less dusty.

"All the information I currently have on the Military Police," she handed it to him.. "Take what you need, I have multiple copies."

Levi placed the box on the floor, opening it and leafing through the papers. Among the sorting, he looked up at her.

"So who do you answer to? Nile Dok?"

She laughed. "What, the boy scout? He doesn't know anything. Ren Dupont is the guy you want."

"Never heard of him."

"Obviously, you haven't. His faction doesn't work by the rules of the military. I don't even think Dok knows who he is."

Levi was immediately suspicious of her generosity. She was spouting information too liberally. Too eager for him to know everything about this man.

"What are you getting out of this, Eloise?"

She feigned injury at his distrust.

"My reputation unscathed, of course. That's what we agreed on."

Levi didn't say anything but continued to look at her. She sighed, turning on her heel.

"Take as long as you like. I'll be upstairs."

It was only after Sam and Angie helped her wash up and drink her tea, did Cassie's hands finally stop shaking.

A knock on the door made her jump and clutch the armrest.

"It's me."

Hearing Eloise's voice, made Cassie relax instantly.

"Come in," was her feeble call. As soon as the older woman entered the room, her eyes immediately softened. She slowly made her way to kneel opposite the girl. The silence that followed was a little awkward. Cassie broke it.

"Eloise, I- _Thank yo_ -"

The woman raised her hand. "Don't mention it."

Cassie shut her mouth and they plunged into another silence as Eloise gauged her actions.

"I won't bother asking if you're alright. You're not. I want you to stop working."

Cassie's heart plummeted to her stomach and her eyes welled with tears. She couldn't. Was she being fired? She couldn't afford to stop working now. Not when she was so close.

"I-I can't, please. My mom-"

"Cassie, don't be a moron. I'm not firing you. I know you have your family to support. I just don't want you working so soon after something like this. It's only a few weeks for you to calm down."

"I _can't_ stop now. I'm barely making rent as it is. I'm not as popular as the others so I need the work more." She blubbed pathetically. Eloise sighed, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped at the girl's eyes. She then reached into her cloak to reveal a pouch. She emptied out it's contents into her gloved palms, making Cassie's eyes widen at the sheer amount of silver pieces. She shook her head.

"No, Eloise. I'm not taking your money. I didn't earn it."

"Shut up, it isn't mine," she replied gently. "I got this off him. It's not much but it should get you through without working for a while. Don't tell anyone."

Cassie curled her fingers around the coins, tears spurting anew. She wrapped her arms around Eloise's middle. "Thank you."

Eloise stood still, before patting her head awkwardly. "Don't go home alone tonight - have one of the girls take you."

A few moments later, she was closing the door and and turning around to make her way back downstairs. She was greeted by Levi who was holding the file under one arm.

"You find all that you were looking for?"

Levi ignored her question.

"That wasn't his," he observed. "People here don't carry around that kind of money."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't listen in on other people's conversations. Now, if you're done, let's go. I have something to show you."

* * *

"Well, what do you think?"

Levi now found himself on the roof of a house, a flat terrain that accommodated a hanging garden. He remembered this place well. It was one of the few places in the Underground, where the sunlight came through. The crack in the ceiling although thin, had grown considerably in the seven years of his absence. Despite this, however, the weeds were overgrown and the plants had begun to rot. The browned vines, crawled over the cracks in the roof in dehydrated tendrils, failures in their quest for survival.

"It looks like shit."

She chuckled sombrely as he stepped over the weeds and peered over the edge of the building. He was familiar with this place because it overlooked his previous home. The one he'd shared with his fallen comrades. Eloise peered down at the house too.

"Should we take a look inside?"

"I'm not really the nostalgic sort," he grunted.

"I haven't been here for as long as you have. Weird how nothing about the place _really_ changed."

" _You've_ changed, Elle."

The use of nickname did not go unmissed. Still she chose to ignore it.

"So have you," she dismissed. "Seven years ago you would have died before letting some military pig boss you around. Now you're all high and mighty with some newfound moral code bullshit, judging me. But really, who the fuck are you to do that? Who are you to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong?"

"The only one with their head up their ass is you. You've deluded yourself into thinking you're some rags to riches fairytale. You don't realise that every crime you commit, every toe out of line, is dragging you closer to your grave. It's not a question of whether or not what you're doing is _moral_. You know I don't give a fuck about that. You don't seem to get that every one of your reckless actions has consequences. And they're catching up with you."

"And what exactly is chasing me?" she challenged.

"9 _known_ acts of murder affiliated with the Household name. Pretty sure the real number is in the hundreds. I know you've taken down more of Weyel's men than he cared to admit. You've run Callisto's operations into the ground hold for their drug trade. A huge chunk of your profits are from threats and fear-mongering tactics to control Hawthorne Zones."

" _I_ did what I had to do to survive and I regret nothing. Or have you forgotten what it's _really_ like down here, Levi? What _you_ yourself did to scrape your way out? You left me here to rot with the weeds."

"Spare me your self-pity. It's hardly survival anymore. Nothing you do anymore is for survival. How much of that shit was actually necessary. The men in Ehrmich the other day. You're telling me their deaths went unnoticed. That your eagerness to get rid of "loose ends" isn't already costing you dearly. Seven years ago, _Elle,_ you looked before you jumped. You didn't just cut strings because you could. So what the fuck happened?"

"I wised up. Don't you see? Sparing them can only ruin you. You let one go and they're off blabbing and then avenging. They always come back. I've accepted I'm no hero, Levi. Neither are you, no matter how many of those things you kill, you can't undo the shit you did. I've come to terms with the person I am. Why make out you're something better when you're clearly not? That's a child's fantasy. _I_ grew up - it's time you did too."

"So why, Eloise, are we here? If you're truly happy with the way things are now, with who _you_ are now, why did you bring me here really?"

Before she could respond, he lunged at her, dragging her to the ground as a bullet whizzed past their heads.

"Shit, they found us."

"How?"

"How the fuck would I know?!"

Before the sniper had time to reload, the duo had already risen and run the the edge of the roof.

"This way," Eloise yelled, hurling herself over the ledge. It was a fifteen foot drop down to the pavement, though both made it with a swift roll. Another bullet. This one almost got her in the arm.

Quickly, they turned a corner. Sprinting down, narrow winding alley after narrow winding alley, they serpentined away from their attackers as though it was second nature to them. Not long after, they exited onto a deserted road, far away from the gunshots, confident that they'd lost their assailants. There was a pause where they regained their breath, before Eloise let out a raspy laugh. She clapped Levi on the back.

"Déjà vu, right?"

"Yeah…The good old days," he muttered sarcastically.

She tilted her head with hand still on his shoulder, the look in her eye growing wistful.

"What happened to us, Levi?"

He shrugged her off. " _We grew up_."

Hurt, she pushed past him, storming ahead. Levi understood more than she knew. He'd already suspected Eloise felt more nostalgic than she cared to admit. In fact, there was no longer any doubt in his mind that despite her words, she actually pined for things to be the way they used to. Seven years ago. Levi shook his head slightly. His eyes followed her as she rounded the corner at the end of the street, taking in their surroundings for the first time.

As he too made his way down, he noted the buildings were more run down than the ones in Hawthorne territory - some of them looked like they hadn't been entered in years. Not a soul was in sight. His suspicions of their location were confirmed when he passed a building with a large symbol graffiti on its moulding wall. A spiked 'C' with a slash through it. They were in Callisto Cartel territory. He hummed in recognition, acknowledging that the codaime mines weren't far from here. He wondered if Eloise had figured out where they were. Probably. She would be more familiar with this place than most.r

He too rounded a corner, picking up his pace to look for her. He needn't have rushed. She was standing up ahead, looking at the house across the road. Levi came up behind her.

"The one you're from?" he asked.

A dilapidated building. The windows were smashed and a putrid odour drifted from inside. The lettering above the door had faded with some letters missing. They knew what it spelt though. _Hawthorne Orphanage._

"Yep."

She walked away from it, pulling her hood back up.

"Come on, we're not safe here. There's another pass to the surface round here."

* * *

 _Erwin's Notes; Entry #1_

 **Profile 152.1 -** **HAWTHORNE HOUSEHOLD**

 _Founded By:_ Eloise Hawthorne

 _Acting Boss:_ Eloise Hawthorne

 _Street Boss, Consigliere:_ Dawson Morel

 _Founding Location_ : Underground City, Mitras

 _Years Active:_ 845 – Present

 _Territory:_ Underground Red Light District; East and Southside Ehrmich District; Some parts of Eastside Mitras; Some parts of West and Southside Stohess District; Scattered territories in Trost and Karanese Districts.

 _Membership (est.):_ 650+ members and associates

 _Criminal Activities:_ Prostitution, Coercion, Fencing, Smuggling, Racketeering, Murder, Arson.

 _Known Allies:_ Edgar Weyel (Lang Company), Lord Balto of Trost, Military Police (?), Nicholas Lobov (?)

 _Known Rivals:_ Mirjam Besler (Callisto Cartel)


End file.
